Island Consulting, Inc. has ceased all operations of The Wirie business effective immediately. We want to say a big thank you to all of our existing customers from the past 9 years. Unfortunately, a number of factors have played into us having to close our business at this time.

There will be no further support, and we will not be able to perform repairs on our products.

This sudden cutoff of ongoing support was especially surprising from a company that had built its reputation on providing great customer service.

Even customers who had purchased a Wirie just a few weeks ago are being left in the lurch - and some have reported they have filed claims with their credit card companies to try and get refunds.

What Happened?

The Wirie website farewell message...

It is hard to say for sure.

The couple behind The Wirie have told us that they can't comment officially beyond what is posted on the website.

But on some forums there has been speculation that the shutdown is related to the new trade tariffs, and cruiser and Wirie customer Sailing Totem posted this:

"The nutshell version is that Wirie has fallen to the tariffs for US businesses from Asian suppliers, and that stinks. Small businesses like theirs are EXACTLY who should be getting support, not victimized in a trade war."

That is unfortunate news, if true.

But regardless of the trade war, nine years is a long time for a small company to stay focused on such a very small niche market - and it is completely understandable for the team behind The Wirie to want to step away and move onto something new.

We just wish that things might have ended a bit more gracefully - particularly for any Wirie customers now caught in the lurch.

Ongoing Wirie Support

The new KVH marine LTE system is interesting, but expensive. But for some considering The Wirie, this might fit their needs.

But don't let company size factor too much in your planning when weighing whether to support small independent businesses. Even large companies occasionally shut down suddenly, and older and unprofitable product lines get orphaned all the time.

The best you can do is look for a long track record of great support, and hope that it continues into the future.

Chris has been a full-time technomad since 2006, and currently splitting time exploring North America by boat and RV with his partner Cherie.
A lifelong geek, he was one of the founding editors of 'boot Magazine' (still going strong as 'Maximum PC'), and before hitting the road full time he was the Director of Competitive Analysis for mobile technology pioneers Palm & PalmSource.
Keeping up on mobile technology is a passion for him. Chris is one part of Technomadia (view their personal Mobile Internet Setup) and co-founder/host of the Mobile Internet Resource Center.

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